We’re into the serious Gameweek 1 business now as we take an early look at the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team news.
Dust down the lie detectors, brush up on reading between the lines and consult the body language experts – the pre-match press conferences will soon be here.
Those take place on Thursday and Friday, and we’ll have all the key headlines from each presser on this site.
These manager press conferences will also help finalise our predicted line-ups, which we’ve taken a first stab at here.
Meanwhile, this article rounds up every injury we’re aware of after a busy summer of pre-season football.
Remember to check out our team news tab and injuries and bans page for more information as the week progresses.
ARSENAL
Gabriel Jesus (knee) is still working his way back from a long-term injury and hasn’t featured all summer.
Other than that, though, Arsenal almost have a fully fit squad.
Leandro Trossard has a “niggly groin” and missed the Gunners’ final two friendlies but even he should be fit for Gameweek 1.
Riccardo Calafiori and Kai Havertz shrugged off minor issues to feature against Athletic Club on Saturday.
And Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber – both of whom missed the end of last season – are back, too. After marking their comebacks with substitute appearances against Villarreal on August 6, the pair got through an hour at the weekend.
ASTON VILLA
Emi Martinez will definitely miss Villa’s season opener due to a one-match ban hanging over from last season.
On the injury front, Morgan Rogers (ankle) is the main concern. He limped off against Roma on August 6 and then missed the weekend’s friendly double-header.
The reports suggest the injury is “not serious”, with the hope that he’ll recover for Gameweek 1.
Ross Barkley and Andres Garcia haven’t been seen since mid-July with supposedly minor issues.
BOURNEMOUTH
Lewis Cook (knee) is both injured and suspended for Friday’s trip to Liverpool.
Enes Unal, meanwhile, is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in January. He was at least running on the grass as of last month.
Ryan Christie (groin) and Luis Sinisterra (hamstring) have, like Unal, missed all of pre-season with injuries from the back-end of the previous campaign. However, the pair are expected to train this week.
Which leaves Justin Kluivert (calf), who hasn’t featured since the friendly against Hibs on July 15. Andoni Iraola said after the weekend’s friendly against Real Sociedad that Kluivert’s recovery “is going slower than we thought” and that the Dutchman is “not training with us still”, although did add that he shouldn’t be out for too much longer.
BRENTFORD
Vitaly Janelt (heel) is still working his way back from surgery he had at the end of 2024/25.
Winger Gustavo Nunes has meanwhile joined the unavailable list for “weeks”. He picked up a hamstring injury at the end of July.
The good news is that the absences of Kevin Schade and Caoimhin Kelleher from last Friday’s final pre-season friendly were said to be “precautionary” due to minor knocks.
Ethan Pinnock had been sidelined this summer too but featured for a ‘Brentford XI’ in a training ground kickabout last Saturday.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Adam Webster (knee), Solly March (knee) and Julio Enciso (knee) will all miss Gameweek 1.
We’re yet to see Tom Watson in a Brighton shirt, meanwhile. He was said to be suffering from a “small issue” in mid-July and hasn’t featured in pre-season since.
There’s good news to report on midfield pair Carlos Baleba and Jack Hinshelwood, however, despite their absence from Saturday’s warm-up games with Wolfsburg. Baleba had already trained the day before that game, with Hinshelwood expected to do so from Tuesday.
Diego Gomez seemed to be struggling before coming off against Wolfsburg but his withdrawal appears to have been precautionary. Fabian Hurzeler also said after full-time that the Seagulls hadn’t picked up any new problems.
BURNLEY
Zeki Amdouni (knee) is the only definite absentee, although it looks likely that Bashir Humphreys (thigh) will miss out in Gameweek 1. Scott Parker said last week that the defender was “still struggling” after missing all of pre-season.
£4.0m goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and fellow new boys Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu didn’t play a part in Saturday’s friendly against Lazio, with Parker saying that the three had “been training on their own a little bit”. Ugochukwu did feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly on the same day, however, with the Burnley boss saying that the midfielder was “probably a little bit closer” than the other two.
Eddie Howe had previously mentioned a shoulder issue for Dubravka shortly before he left Newcastle United.
Connor Roberts and long-term absentee Jordan Beyer haven’t been involved in any of the ‘public’ friendlies that the Clarets have had but have featured behind closed doors.
Zian Flemming is another whom we haven’t seen. Last we heard, Parker was expecting him to return to training last week.
CHELSEA
Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk are serving suspensions for different reasons (Jackson for one more game, Mudryk indefinitely), while Levi Colwill is out long term with a knee injury.
Benoit Badiashile and Romeo Lavia meanwhile haven’t featured since the Club World Cup. Reports suggest Badiashile will be out till September, while Lavia hasn’t been sighted in training.
Wesley Fofana (thigh) has returned to training and “could” feature in Gameweek 1, while Trevoh Chalobah appears to have avoided injury despite a scare against Milan on Sunday.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Long-term absentees Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure haven’t recovered from knee issues over the summer.
Now, Eddie Nketiah (hamstring) has joined them on the sidelines until October at the earliest.
Second-stringers Matheus Franca (adductor) and Caleb Kporha (back) are also unlikely to feature in Gameweek 1.
Daichi Kamada is the newest concern, having come off with knee pain in the Community Shield. He may miss “one or two games”.
In more positive news, Marc Guehi was only suffering from cramp when leaving the field at Wembley.
EVERTON
Harrison Armstrong (slight thigh strain) and Nathan Patterson (hernia symptoms) were both absent for Everton’s defeat to Roma on Saturday.
Also of concern is Vitalii Mykolenko, who had barely completed 10 minutes in that game before going off with what looked like a muscle injury. David Moyes said the Ukrainian would be assessed.
And, on Wednesday, there were reports emerging that Jarrad Branthwaite has injured his hamstring in training.
FULHAM
The Cottagers have issues at left-back. Antonee Robinson (knee) missed all the public pre-season friendlies and Ryan Sessegnon (muscle) came off after just 20-odd minutes of the latest one.
Marco Silva said Sessegnon “felt something” before being withdrawn, adding that it will “take a little bit more time” for Robinson to be ready.
LEEDS UNITED
Jaka Bijol will miss Monday night’s season-opener because of a suspension carried over from his time in Italy.
Jayden Bogle (hip) meanwhile faces a race against time to be fit. The right-back has been doing individual work but Daniel Farke hoped to have him and centre-half Sebastiaan Bornauw back in training this week.
Bogle has, at least, only been out a fortnight or so.
LIVERPOOL
Ryan Gravenberch is suspended for one match after being sent off in Gameweek 38 of last season.
The injury concerns are over Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez.
Bradley missed the end of pre-season with a minor muscle injury, and Arne Slot admitted it will be “tight” whether he’ll be fit for the start of the season.
Gomez hasn’t featured since mid-July because of a minor injury but Slot said ahead of the Community Shield that he would be back “very soon”.
Alexis Mac Allister is injury-free but his manager said in the lead-up to Sunday’s kickabout at Wembley that he was not ready for 90 minutes. The midfielder indeed began the game on the bench.
MANCHESTER CITY
Rodri is back in training after picking up a groin injury at the Club World Cup but Pep Guardiola suggested last week that City would be careful with the Spaniard and that he wouldn’t be truly fit till after the next international break.
Rodri and Phil Foden missed Saturday’s friendly against Palermo, the latter as a precaution because of an ankle knock.
And also absent from the travelling party to Sicily was Josko Gvardiol. Guardiola hasn’t given a reason yet for his unavailability.
Mateo Kovacic (Achilles) remains sidelined.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Lisandro Martinez is still recovering from a long-term knee injury, while Noussair Mazraoui has been sidelined with an unknown issue since the friendly against Leeds last month.
There was a double fitness boost on Monday, however. Andre Onana (hamstring) and Joshua Zirkzee (small issue) returned to training after missing all of the summer friendlies.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
The Magpies have only one confirmed absentee for Gameweek 1. That’s Joe Willock, who suffered a calf injury in the match against K League on July 30 and was ruled out for 4-6 weeks.
Eddie Howe expects Anthony Gordon to be okay after his ankle twist on Saturday.
The Newcastle boss added that he was being careful with the minutes of Lewis Hall and Sven Botman after recent injuries.
The wantaway Alexander Isak, of course, looks extremely unlikely to face Aston Villa after his off-the-field issues.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Nicolas Dominguez will be out until the autumn after undergoing knee surgery over the summer.
Other than that, though, we think Forest’s first team is injury-free.
SUNDERLAND
Aji Alese (shoulder), Luke O’Nien (shoulder), Dennis Cirkin (wrist) and Leo Hjelde (Achilles) will all miss the first three Gameweeks of the season.
Romaine Mundle is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue, too.
Meanwhile, Regis Le Bris will assess the match fitness of new signings Arthur Masuaku and Marc Guiu, adding that the club would “be patient” with their progress.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Dominic Solanke (ankle) returned for Wednesday’s Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Destiny Udogie remains out, although Thomas Frank said on Tuesday that the left-back is “closer” and “getting better”.
“The squad is in a good place, fitness-wise, in a very good place, Touch wood, no more injuries in terms of what you fear, soft tissue injuries, and that means we’ve done well. They are fit, they are ready. The good thing is that Dom is back, we’re positive about that, and Destiny is getting better, although not ready for the game. Bissouma has stayed at home due to disciplinary reasons; he’s not travelled.” – Thomas Frank
As well as Yves Bissouma being on the naughty step, Spurs have to do without Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Koto Takai (foot), Radu Dragusin (knee) and long-term absentee James Maddison (knee).
WEST HAM UNITED
Crysencio Summerville hasn’t been seen in action all summer, suggesting he’s still recovering from last season’s hamstring injury. He is at least training.
Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be too much wrong with the Hammers’ squad.
We’re yet to see Callum Wilson in action since he signed, however.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
And like West Ham, only one injury that we’re aware of.
Leon Chiwome is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in January.
